This invention relates in general to cutters, such as for cables, and more particularly to a cartridge-actuated cutter that is held in one hand.
A hand-held, cartridge-actuated cutter generally includes a frame and a barrel assembly. The frame includes a grip for gripping by a user""s hand, a trigger, firing pin, and a pivot mount. The barrel assembly generally includes a barrel, a piston, and an extractor. The barrel includes a first pivot mount for cooperating with the frame mount for mounting the barrel assembly on the frame, a front end including an anvil and a laterally opening cable receiving recess for holding a cable adjacent the anvil, a rear end including a breech bore for receiving a cartridge, and a longitudinal bore. The piston has a front end including a cutter, such as a chisel, and a stop surface. The piston is reciprocable in the longitudinal bore and moves forward from the cocked position responsive to detonation of a cartridge such that the chisel cuts a cable held in the recess against the anvil.
The extractor slides rearward to simultaneously eject a cartridge and cock the piston. The stop impacts the anvil simultaneously with the chisel so as to lessen damage to said anvil. The anvil is repositionable so as to present different surfaces to the chisel. The barrel includes a second pivoting mount for cooperating with the frame mount for selectively mounting the barrel assembly on the frame so as to reposition the cable recess.